The Drugstore Nail Polish That Gives You a Salon Finish

As skills go, being able to paint your nails to a salon standard is a real time- and money-saving trick. But the truth is that not many have managed to master it, mainly thanks to the "other hand" problem (shoutout to our ambidextrous readers who don't have that issue). However, I digress. Even when you do somehow manage to paint your nails accurately and colour inside the lines/nail beds, there is one big problem: It never lasts as long. Now, seasoned DIY manicurists will know it's all about a topcoat.

But sometimes you forget or you've run out. Or, quite simply, you can't be bothered to wait for it to dry. Sound familiar? Fear not, for we have discovered a polish that is about to end all your woes.

In steps Rimmel's gel polish. The first thing to know about this range is that it comes in 20 different shades, from a bold pastel-blue hue to a classic red. I'm pretty keen on cherry colours, so I opted for Venus (above). The brush is helpfully quite wide so it paints the whole nail in one go (rather than an annoyingly thin one that means you have to keep dipping back into the pot).

After one coat, it looks good, but once you add a whole other layer, suddenly nails appear instantly glossy to a salon standard. As if you had actual gels put on, but none of that UV light faffing, and none of the damage when you want to take it off either.

Now, we're aware that you can add the brand's topcoat to this, but even without it, we discovered the colour lasted for a whole week, and we even did our washing-up without gloves. However, if you do decide to use the topcoat too, then prepare for your nails to last another week. Incredible.